Recently, with the advent of multimedia, digital image data can be seen everywhere. In order to digitize an image, various kinds of image-capturing devices were introduced to the market, such as digital cameras, digital video recorders, surveillance equipments, scanners . . . etc. Among all, the scanner plays a very important role in capturing plane images.
Refer now to FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b, in which FIG. 1a shows a conventional scanner 2 and FIG. 1b is a cross-sectional view of the scanner 2 of FIG. 1a. The scanner 2 is composed of a scanner body 4 including components such as an image capturer, an image processor, mechanisms . . . etc. (not shown in the image). The image capturer captures a plan image of an object posited upon the scanner body 4 through light scanning. For providing a standard environmental sensitivity, a cover 6 is posited upon the scanner body 4 to cover the object. In order to open or close the cover 6 more quickly and accurately over a scanning surface 10 of scanner body 4, a hinge 8 is located on a side of the cover 6. Through the hinge 8 pivotal shaft, the cover 6 can joint pivotally the scanner body 4.
In the prior art, when a user opens the cover 6 within a lifting angle less than 90 degree between the cover 6 and scanner body 4, the user must hold the cover 6 manually to avoid the cover 6 dropping back to the scanning surface 10. Once the lifting angle is over 90 degree, the user then needn't to hold the cover 6 anymore. However, at this moment, if the scanner 2 is further moved or accidentally shaken, the cover 6 may be disturbed and fall automatically back to hit at the scanning surface 10. Definitely, under such an incident, damage can be foreseen.
Besides, if the cover 6 is opened further after the 90-degree angle is achieved, the hinge 8 will hit a dead point at a predetermined angle to prevent the cover 6 from being over turned. This predetermined angle is usually called a safety angle. Nevertheless, while the cover 6 is opened to the safety angle and, at this point, only a little portion of the hinge 8 is used to contact with the cover 6, any abrupt action from the user onto the cover 6 will quite possible damage the hinge 9. In the dark side, such a damage at the hinge 8 may wreck the scanner 2.
Hence, to provide a brake apparatus or a force-dispersing mechanism to the hinge for resolving the problem mentioned above is definitely worthy in the art.